Friday, 31 July 2015

Breakthrough linking protein in blood to memory loss raises hopes for dementia treatment, and could be key to keeping people healthy for longer in old age

An MRI of a human brain. Scientists have found that the B2M protein builds up in the blood and brain with age, causing memory impairment.

Researchers may have found a way to slow down or prevent memory problems that arise in old age and which can become devastating in patients with dementia.

The fresh hope comes from a series of studies in humans and mice that identified a protein which causes memory impairment when it builds up in the blood and brain with age.

Scientists found that injections of the protein made young animals’ memories worse and reduced the growth of new neurons in their brains. Further studies showed that blocking the protein prevented memory loss in older animals, making them smarter than untreated animals of the same age.

Those studies have led scientists to suspect that blood plasma contains a cocktail of factors that either drive or counteract the natural ageing process. Major efforts are now underway to identify the different components at work in the hope of turning them into a therapy. A human trial to test the effects of young plasma on Alzheimer’s patients is already underway.

If scientists can work out which substances in blood affect the ageing process, and prove that they work in humans, they could potentially create a mixture that slows down the ageing process, at least partially. The therapy might not make people live longer, but it could keep them healthy for longer, by staving off conditions of old age, such as dementia.

“I think there are two ways we can improve or reverse the hallmarks of ageing,” said Saul Villeda, the lead author on the study at the University of California, San Francisco. “One of them is to administer pro-youthful factors, but the other is to target these pro-ageing factors.”

Advertisement

Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, the scientists describe how they noticed an age-related rise in the levels of beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), a protein in the blood of mice and humans. Scores of proteins go up and down in the blood as organisms age, but Villeda found evidence from other studies that B2M might play a role in age-related disorders. For example, patients on long-term kidney dialysis can have raised levels of B2M in their blood, and these people tend to suffer the worst cognitive decline.

To test the effect of B2M, Villeda and his colleagues injected young mice with the protein and had them perform different tasks. In the first set of experiments, mice were trained to find a platform hidden just below the surface in a water maze. Mice put into the maze were out of their depth, but used visual clues, including triangles and heart shapes around the room, to find their bearings and then make their way to the platform, which they could climb up onto.

“Young animals are really good at this. They will make perhaps one or two mistakes over the course of three trials. But when you give them B2M, they’ll make perhaps five mistakes. It’s a striking difference,” Villeda said. The effect was stronger when B2M was injected directly into the brain.

In a second set of experiments, mice were put in a chamber and after two minutes given a small electric shock through a grille on the chamber floor. The mice were then removed from the chamber, but returned the next day.

Young mice typically explored the chamber for a few moments before they froze: their natural reaction to remembering where they were. But mice given B2M froze much less, because their memories were not as sharp.

Advertisement

“A normal young mouse will freeze about 50 to 60% of the time in the first minute. But after B2M, they will freeze for about half that time,” said Villeda. The B2M seemed to impair the animals’ memories of the electric shock, making them respond like much older mice. When animals were tested a month after injections of B2M, it had no effect. That is good news, said Villeda, as it means that the harm caused by B2M is not permanent.

The scientists followed up with tests on mice that had been genetically modified to ensure they did not produce B2M. Young animals that had no B2M seemed perfectly normal. But as the animals aged, their memories did not decline at the same rate as other mice. “When we looked at the older animals, they were much smarter. They did not develop the same kinds of memory impairments. I was really surprised,” said Villeda.

The study went found that B2M works alongside a protein complex called MHC1. Villeda suspects that a drug that stopped the two working together could help reduce memory loss. “If we block the interaction between B2M and MHC1, could that either prevent memory loss with old age, if we take it when we are younger? Could it reverse memory loss if we start when we are old?” Villeda said.

But that may not be necessary. “Perhaps we can just get rid of it in old people’s blood”, says Villeda.

Clare Walton at the Alzheimer’s Society said: ‘This research has identified an age-related protein in mice that damages an area of the brain that is important for memory. This interesting study highlights the importance of basic research in helping to find new targets for drugs to help stop cognitive decline.

“As this study is only at the early stages, we first need to see whether the protein causes similar effects in the human brain before the research can be taken forward into potential treatments.”

Tuesday, 28 July 2015

Creative hobbies like painting, quilting, pottery or woodworking could help keep your brain sharp as you get older.

A new study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic looked at the benefits of a number of activities in middle and old age and found that engaging in a creative hobby helped reduce the risk of dementia and preserve memory.

In addition to arts and crafts, the study, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, also examined the longterm benefits of social activities such as book clubs, movies, concerts, time with friends and travel. Additionally, the study considered the brain-health benefits of computer pastimes such as surfing the Internet, playing video games and even online shopping. All of them helped -- but artistic pursuits seemed to be most effective.

"There's enough data here to suggest that being socially, mentally active -- along with what we know from other research, physically active -- probably does influence whether you're going to get dementia down the line. And you can reduce your risk by being mentally and physically active," said Dr. James Leverenz, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, said in a video press release.

The researchers surveyed 256 people with an average age of 87 about how they used their leisure time. At the start of the study none of the participants were found to have memory or thinking problem. In follow-up assessments approximately four years later, 121 people had developed mild cognitive impairment.

The researchers found participants who engaged in artistic hobbies such as painting, drawing or sculpture in both middle and old age were 73 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who didn't. Those who crafted -- doing things like pottery, woodworking, quilting or sewing -- were 45 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment.

Social activities also made a difference. People who socialized and did group activities in middle and old age were 55 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment compared to those who did not.

Finally, the study found people who regularly used a computer reduced their risk of mild cognitive impairment by 53 percent.

"Many investigators theorize that stimulating the brain through mental and physical activity increases growth factors that help brain cells function better and prevent them from dying," Leverenz told CBS News in an email.

The authors of the study say that in order for such hobbies to provide a protective benefit for cognitive function, a person must begin them in middle age.

However, even with stimulating activities, people with certain chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure in middle age and depression still had a higher risk for mild cognitive impairment. The National Institute on Aging, the Mayo Foundation for Medical and the Rochester Epidemiology 53 Project supported this study.

Police adopt new scheme to help find missing people with dementia

A SCHEME has been launched in North Yorkshire to help police find missing people with dementia.

The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme which provides police with quick and detailed information about a person's background and history to help speed up the time taken to find them.

Under the scheme, someone living with dementia or their friends, family or carer completes a form with their daily routine, medication, mobility and places of significance to them, and keeps it in a safe place where it can be quickly found if they go missing. This information will help narrow down police searches for the missing person.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick is also the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) lead for dementia, and said the national scheme which had been adopted in North Yorkshire would help make reporting by friends or family less stressful.

He said: "The Herbert Protocol is designed to provide the police with access to accurate information as soon as possible, meaning officers can ensure that their actions and searches are targeted on the basis of specific information. In such situations, it can often mean the difference between life and death."